Mallard Roofing

[yellow bomber 0]

I've been buggering with this for the last month and just can't seem to get it right, I've looked online and went to my local fly shop and watched the guy do it there but I can't remember the exact method by the time I get home. I've got quality feathers from Hareline but can't get it to work right.

 

Does anyone know of a good tutorial anywhere on the web thats for this, or can offer some suggestions.

 

Thanks in advance for any help, i'm at the point in my first Classic (Butcher) that this needs to be done and its all thats holdin me back. :wallbash:

[halcyon 0]

Here is how "roof" is mounted according to Freddie Riley and John Veniard in the added portion to the last printing of "How to Dress Salmon Flies" by T. E. Pryce-Tannatt.

"The last stage as far as feather slips are concerned is putting on the brown mallard "roof", .... This entails the folding of the strips of brown mallard over the top of the wing instead of placing strips at either side of its top section, and is carried out as follows: cut a left and a right-hand strip from two brown mallard feathers, both double the width required each side of the wing, leaving the quills on. Stroke out the fibres so that they stand at right-angles to the quills. Now place the two strips on top of one another in the same curve, so that their tips are together, leaving a flat double-wing section. Cut off the quills. The flat pieces of feather are then placed on top of the wing, and folded in half so that they envelop the top of it."

While a bit odd to fathom at first the method produces a perfect roof that holds together well in the water when fished.

[Bruce Derington 0]

Go over to the Classic forum, they will get you going. I veiwed Mike Radenchich tape and he ties them in different from statement above. It would be best to jump to the classic forum http://www.classicflytying.com/index.php?showforum=5

[yellow bomber 0]

Thanks for the reply you guys, that description from halcyon just about sums it up.

 

The guy i watched said something about lining up the strips of mallard so that when placed together the tips were supposed to be flowing in the opposite directions of eachother, which was making me think i had to put shiny side to dull side since thats the only way a left and right can go together without flowing in the same direction.

 

I dunno, it's makin me crazy though, lol, they keep splitting in the center on me, hopefully it comes with practice

 

 

 

[halcyon 0]

I am sure you know that you have to size the feathers such that the tie in point at the butt of the slips is a gray/white color. If you use slips from a feather that is too large and just use the bronze portion only the feathers will almost always split. The tip to about 1/2 to 2/3 of the way to the quill has little or none of the necessary web needed to keep the fibers locked together. If you size them properly they will seldom ever split even after lots of actual fishing use. And when you fold them over the top of the wing they will form a knife edge that is not split but is like the sealed bottom of a dory. To easily see how this works try using goose shoulder feather slips at first as these feathers are all web and work like magic for roofing a wing.